page_title: Operation Uric
section_title: Attack
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Uric / Attack
caption_attribution_description: Description: Plaque honouring fourteen Rhodesian and three South African servicemen killed during Operation Uric, Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria. 2014. Remark: "Operation Uric" was a raid staged by members of the Rhodesian Security Forces with South African Air Force support in Mozambique, 1979. Killed in action in the same incident on 6 September 1979 and buried in the same grave at Mapai together with the three SA Air Force members whose names appear at the bottom of the list - Capt. Johannes M. du Plooy, 1 RLI Capt. Charles David Small, RHE 2LT Bruce Fraser Burns, RHE Sgt Michael Alan Jones, RHE Cpl Leroy Duberley, RHE Cpl Gordon Hugh Fry, 1 RLI L/Cpl Peter Fox, RHE Tpr Jacobus Alwyn Briel, 1 RLI Tpr Aiden James Coleman, 1 RLI Tpr Mark Jeremy Crow, 1 RLI Tpr Brian Louis Enslin, 1 RLI Tpr Steven Eric King, 1 RLI Tpr Colin Graham Neasham, 1 RLI Tpr David Rex Prosser, 1 RLI - Capt Paul Velleman, SAAF Lt Nigel Osborne, SAAF F/Sgt Dick Retief, SAAF
context_page_description: Operation Uric was a cross-border raid carried out in Mozambique by operatives of the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War, with combat assistance from the South African Air Force. During the operation, which took place from 1 to 7 September 1979, up to 400 Rhodesian and South African military personnel attacked bridges and a major staging point for Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army insurgents in Gaza Province. The battle eventually drew in elements of the Mozambican army and police, who sustained heavy casualties. Along with Operation Miracle, this was one of the largest Rhodesian external operations of the war.
context_section_description: Prior to the attack, 200 Zimbabwe Rhodesian troops had been deployed into an area 161 kilometres (100 mi) inside of Mozambique east-southeast of Chigubu. Helicopters were at Chipinda Pools airstrip within Zimbabwe Rhodesia. The attack only began on 5 September because of bad weather conditions. Rhodesian SAS troops were airlifted to Aldeia De Barragem and four other targets to destroy bridges and infrastructure. Hawker Hunter jets and Cessna Lynx aircraft bombed the area and provided air support. During evacuation of a wounded soldier one AB-205A helicopter was shot down by a RPG-7 with the technician, LAC AJC Wesson killed on impact. The pilot Flt Lt Dick Paxton was rescued by the SAS.
  On 6 September the army base at Mapai was bombarded by Hawker Hunters destroying the command centre and the main radar station. Afterwards the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian troops were transported by helicopter to attack positions near the base. During transport operations a South African Puma helicopter was hit by an RPG-7 at 22.740028°S 32.105278°E killing all 14 Zimbabwe-Rhodesian commandos and the three South African Air Force crew on board. This was the highest loss of life for the Rhodesian Security Forces in a single incident during the war. The crash site was later bombed in an attempt to cover the South African markings on the Puma helicopter.
  The Mapai base was fortified by interconnecting zig-zag trenches which provided good cover for the defenders. Heavy fighting took place between the Rhodesian Army and FPLM soldiers. Mapai was repeatedly bombarded by Hunter jets and Canberra bombers. Shortly before sundown the decision to withdraw was taken by the Supreme Commander of the Rhodesian Army General Walls.
caption: Plaque honouring seventeen Rhodesian and South African servicemen killed during Uric.
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon PowerShot ELPH 135", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "180", "Image YResolution": "180", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2014:07:05 10:47:04", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "246", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 3, 0, 0]", "Image GPSInfo": "6496", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "180", "Thumbnail YResolution": "180", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "12788", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5739", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/60", "EXIF FNumber": "16/5", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "125", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Standard Output Sensitivity and Recommended Exposure Index", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2014:07:05 10:47:04", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2014:07:05 10:47:04", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "3", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "189/32", "EXIF ApertureValue": "107/32", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "107/32", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "5", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4608", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "3456", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "4608", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "3456", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "6386", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "2304000/121", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1728000/91", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF CameraOwnerName": ""}